Cast off

Lordy, the prep time for a trip on the water is unreal…well, at least it is for me. Bill threw some cutoffs, hats, and bathing suits into a bag for himself and the boys and was READY. Woot. Let’s go!

Me? I had the task of planning food for 6 people without the ability to keep it cool over a long period and packing for Mia and I, being mindful of the schizo weather we have been having.

Trying to figure out protein rich foods to cook, without it consisting of beans and rice, beans and rice, rice and beans, is also a daunting task. There is only so much canned tuna that I can force feed my kids.

In the end, I found all kinds of fantastic options at our local HEB. I even found organic milk that didn’t need to be refrigerated! Have you seen the little, bitty Horizon Organic milk singles? Their cost is not so cute, but to have dairy on the boat for our morning cappuccino was worth every buck spent.

When I showed up at the dock with a dock cart filled and overflowing with stuff……..and the dog……Bill looked at me and asked if I had planned our escape from civilization instead of a weekend away.  All we needed were passports, baby.

Bringing the load on board had me wondering where the hell I was going to stow everything. Boats are not known for their ample storage options…that is, unless you have a 50 footer, and then I imagine you would have plenty of room for your groceries………..plus a 40″ flat screen TV and refrigeration. Ours, at 31 feet? Not so much. I was surprised though to find that everything I brought on board fit very nicely in the cupboards and cabinets available.

I had pasta, sauce, bruschetta, bread, bagels, crackers, chips, dip, olive spread, hummus, organic boxed milk, fruit, cheese, muffins, cinnamon rolls, juice, water, water, water, and Tecate for the grown ups.

After stowing all the supplies, we cast off our lines and headed out across the bay.

It was a 1 1/2 hour sail to our destination and the winds were blowing around 15k. There was still a chill in the air from the norther that had blown through the previous day, but the sun was out and shinning bright.

We approached the cove where we planned to stay, chose our spot, dropped anchor and assessed our position. With the swing of the boat from the wind (winds blowing south east at the time), at times the boat would drift into depths that were too shallow for comfort. We draft around 4’8″ and it appeared that we would swing onto a sand bar with a depth of 5’2″…..factor low tide into that and it spelled trouble. Captain decided to pull anchor and try again after consulting Dr. GPS.

Our second attempt found us in water no less than 7 foot in depth. Plenty of room for the lowest of low tides. Bingo.

I secured the anchor, stood up and surveyed my new surroundings. Idyllic does not even begin to describe our anchorage. To think that someplace just as lovely as Cozumel was within an afternoons sail from our house was mind blowing. It was this that I have been waiting for since last June. We were finally doing it. (to be continued)

Here is Miss Mimi checking out the beginning of the sunset. You can see our “neighbors” anchored in the distance.

Our mode of transportation to and from the boat